No, this isn't an April Fools joke. No, this is not an announcement saying that the story is discontinued. I am back with the next chapter for this story. Now, as for where I have been? I took a break from Star Wars in its entirety after the Ahsoka show. If you enjoyed the show, more power to you, but I personally did not, and I just needed a break. But now I'm back, and we're kick starting the Malevolence arc.
Now on to the reviews.
DeluxeHipster1945: Thank you for the praise. Hope you continue to enjoy this.
Trado: Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, I have certainly taken a hard look at the Eternal Alliance while writing this chapter, and once their motives come out into the open I'm hoping it will make things clear. Of the characters you've speculated about showing up, the only one I am not familiar with is Master Ranos. I'm guessing she shows up after the Nathema Conspiracy, which is a part of the game I haven't gotten too yet.
TW: Thanks. Oh yes. The Sith are truly in for a rude awakening once we're through these next three chapters. Also, half the characters you've named will show up.
Guest1: I felt it was important to make clear what events have transpired because, as we know, SWTOR is a game whose story doesn't have a foreseeable conclusion. Honestly it doesn't take much to see how far the Jedi have fallen. Just comparing the two eras I'm using here is enough of an example.
Bia1230: Thanks.
Guest2: The answer to your question may surprise you. And boy am I looking forward to writing some 1V1 between some of these major characters.
THWA: Yep, their goal isn't to conquer the Galaxy, but to prevent the it's fall to darkness.
Atlas073: Glad I could scratch that itch for you. Yes, I am determined to keep writing this.
Guest3: Your patience is appreciated and rewarded.
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or anything related to it. All rights go to the original creators.
Chapter 4: Rising Malevolence
The tide of the war had shifted once again as the Republic starfleet now found itself under siege. The surprise attacks on Republic ships left no witnesses, and rumours had begun to circulate at the possibility of a new Separatist weapon being responsible. In the face of growing fear, the Jedi council sends Master Plo Koon to hunt down the menace before it strikes again. His search takes him to the Abregado system where they discover their quarry.
Abregado system, the Triumphant's bridge
The Kel Dor Jedi Master, Plo Koon, took note of the unfamiliar Separatist ship silhouetted against the red gas giant. He couldn't discern much from this distance but based on what his navigation crew had told him he could make an educated guess to its size.
The clone commander of the 104th battalion, Wolffe, approached. "The enemy ship has reduced its speed, General."
"They must have realized we are tracking them," said Plo.
After being informed that their fleet was now in a holding position, the Jedi considered their next course of action. Knowing the fleets that had encountered this new weapon before had been utterly wiped out, he decided it would be best if they reported their current position before attacking.
He and Wolffe made their way to the holo-console, with the intention of contacting Skywalker's fleet in the Bith system. He was close enough he could reinforce them if need be.
Turning on the console, the pair were greeted by the images of both Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano.
"Koh-to-ya, Master Plo," said Ahsoka, greeting him in his native tongue.
Plo Koon returned the gesture.
"How's the hunt for the mystery weapon going?" said Anakin.
"We've tracked it to the Abregado system," said Plo. "We need reinforcements."
Anakin glanced at Ahsoka. "I'll have to take it up with the council, Master Plo. I was given strict orders to protect our staging area."
Suddenly the images started to cut out. Wolffe said that there was too much interference to able to maintain contact. Realizing the enemy was denying them time to formulate a solid plan of attack, Plo ordered his fleet to continue their pursuit. After a clone navigator informed him that the enemy was closing in on their position, he gave the order to prepare for battle.
As Plo and his command crew monitored the situation, Wolffe noticed a change. "We're picking up a large energy reading from the target, sir."
Plo gave the order to open fire, but Wolffe countered with the unfortunate information that they were still out of range. Looking to the bridge's viewport, Plo and the rest of his crew could only watch as a massive ring of purple energy was discharged from the side of the enemy ship. As the energy field passed through the Republic fleet, Wolffe noted that it had drained their ships power including their shields.
Without their defences, or even a way to fight back, the Separatist vessel wasted no time in assailing Plo Koon's fleet with a torrent of blaster fire. After seeing another ship get shot to pieces, the Jedi gave the order to retreat into the escape pods. He, Wolffe and two other troopers of the 104th managed to get away in one pod. Another was struck by debris destroying it instantly, while the other two pods disappeared from their field of vision. The mission was a failure.
Malevolence bridge
General Grievous and Count Dooku looked over the results of the test firing of their new ion cannon. The thought process behind it was simple. An ion weapon capable of disabling whole fleets of ships, leaving them easy pickings for the warship's remaining weapons or any other ships, be they cruisers or fighters. The Malevolence was equipped with a pair of these cannons, one on each side, and as a result was currently the largest starship in the galaxy.
After they had dispatched a squad of droids to scour the debris to search for the escape pods and silence any witnesses, the two Separatist leaders discussed their plans for the new super weapon.
"How much longer before we test our weapon against the Eternal Fleet?" said Grievous.
"Soon. Once we have eliminated all survivors within this system, we shall move to engage the Eternal Fleet. The balance of power will tip in our favour and the Eternal Alliance's part in this will be over." Dooku smirked at the thought of utterly crushing the Eternal Alliance's advantage.
Bith system, Resolute bridge
After losing contact with Plo Koon, Ahsoka had been insistent that they go and assist his fleet, but Anakin stressed they needed to follow the council's orders as they headed to join a conference on the current situation.
The meeting, held via holo, involved the Supreme Chancelor and Jedi masters Yoda, Mace Windu, and Obi-wan Kenobi. Anakin informed them that Plo Koon had tracked the mystery weapon to the Abregado system, but he'd lost contact with Plo's fleet and had been unable to restore communications.
"The absence of any distress beacons suggests that his fleet…" Anakin said, glancing at his worried padawan. "That his fleet was destroyed like the others. We are about to prepare a rescue mission."
"Hasn't Clone Intelligence reported that this weapon never leaves any survivors?" said Chancelor Palpatine.
"The Separatists are being unusually tidy," said Obi-wan. "They don't want any witnesses."
"Tragic, these losses are," said Yoda. "But prevent more, we must."
"All of our battle groups will be re-assigned to guard our supply convoys," said Mace. "Including yours, Skywalker. I'm afraid we can't risk any more ships on a rescue mission."
Before Anakin could respond, Ahsoka spoke up. "Wait. Just because there haven't been any survivors before, doesn't mean there won't be any this time."
After a moment of silence, the Chancellor said. "Boldly spoken, for one so young."
Ahsoka knew she had spoken out of turn, against her master's instructions.
"She is learning from Anakin," said Obi-wan.
"Excuse my padawan," said Anakin. "We will deploy as you've instructed, Master."
With the meeting concluded, Anakin didn't waste time reprimanding his student's behaviour.
"If anyone could survive, Master Plo could," Ahsoka said. "I don't understand why-"
"What you don't understand is Jedi protocol or your place, my young padawan."
Admiral Yularen, accompanied by a trooper, entered the communication room. Anakin gave him their new orders, splitting up their ships to maximise their defence area, while he himself would scout ahead for enemy activity.
"Isn't that risky?" said Yularen. "With the mystery weapon out there?"
"Maybe," said Anakin. "But I know you won't argue my orders. Come on, Snips."
A disgruntled Ahsoka dutifully followed her master down to the hanger.
Abregado system
The situation had gotten worse for Plo Koon and his men. Their escape pod's power had fizzled out, leaving them without engines, communications and, most critically, no life-support.
"The air in here is getting a bit stale," said Wolffe.
"Don't look at me," said Sinker, the white-haired clone. "It's Boost, sir. He only takes a bath when he's on leave."
Boost didn't take kindly to the jab. "Just keep working on the pod, not your jokes."
While Boost and Sinker kept working, Plo and Wolffe discussed the possibility of their survival.
"I know that if we work together, we will stay alive," said Plo. "And someone will find us."
Sinker wasn't convinced. "With, er, all due respect general, strategically it doesn't make any sense for someone to come looking for us. If I was in command, I'd be hunting that weapon down."
"I value your life more than finding that weapon," said Plo.
Glancing to the view port, Boost noticed another pod out in the debris field. Without power, however, they had no way to contact them. After a suggestion from Boost to just wave at the occupants when the pod's view port came around, Plo reached out with the force to spin the pod so they could see the occupants. What they saw, instead, was the glass on the port had been smashed and the occupants killed.
"Someone busted that pod wide open," said Wolffe.
Plo Koon did not like the implications of this discovery. "We are not alone out here."
Bith system, the Resolute
Anakin, Ahsoka and R2-D2 departed the capital ship aboard the Twilight, a smuggler's vessel that Anakin had 'acquired' from the Separatists during the mission to rescue Jabba's son.
"Set those new coordinates, R2?" said Anakin.
R2 beeped a response while Ahsoka attempted to explain her earlier outburst to Anakin, who said she didn't need to. They then made the jump to hyperspace. Upon reaching their destination, Ahsoka instructed R2 to modulate their scanner to detect the mystery weapon.
"No," said Anakin. "R2, tune the scanners for life forms, highest sensitivity."
Ahsoka was confused. "Why would we scan for life forms to spot an enemy weapon probably just filled with battle… droids." She then noticed the red gas giant in front of them and realized where they were; the Abregado system.
Ahsoka wasn't too pleased to learn that Anakin had gone against the council, despite the reprimand she had received earlier.
"Doing what the Jedi Council says is one thing. How we go about doing it is another. That's what I'm trying to teach you, my young padawan."
"So, you always meant to come out here to look for survivors?"
"Lives are in danger, Ahsoka. We can't just turn our backs on them."
Ahsoka argued that she had said the same in the briefing room, but Anakin explained that the way she had said it, by speaking out of turn and not considering the larger scope of things, was where her mistake lay.
The pair knew they didn't have much time before someone caught on to their absence and recalled them, so they started their search.
Plo Koon's life pod
Sinker and Boost continued to work on the pod's functionality. Sinker was trying to figure out where several wires were supposed to plug in, but Boost wasn't optimistic about the clone sergeant's assessment.
"We don't want to make things worse," said Boost.
"How are we going to make things worse?" said Sinker.
Plo spoke, trying to ease the tension. "When you look for trouble, you should not be surprised when it finds you."
Boost connected a pair of wires, which finally restored some of their power. Looking at the console next to him, Wolffe started to get a weak signal coming from another life pod; it was being attacked by a squad of pod-hunter battle droids.
"That signal is weak," said Plo. "They must be close by."
"They've locked onto our pod!" said the clone on the transmission. "Our position is mark 12 at 0.26."
"I have visual contact," said Wolffe.
They saw the other pod had been grabbed by a saucer-shaped craft with four long claw-like appendages. Four battle droids with rocket packs were cutting their way through the pod's view port.
"Pod 9177, do you copy?" said Plo.
"The droids are hunting for survivors. They're cutting through!"
The transmission got cut off as the droids finally got through, sending the pod's occupants flying into space.
"Things… just got a lot worse," said Sinker.
"I think they see us," said Boost, confirming Sinker's statement.
The pod hunter had released its previous quarry and was heading straight for them.
"It is time to go," said Plo.
"Go? Where are you going, sir?" said Wolffe.
"Outside, to destroy the enemy. My mask will help me withstand the pressure for a brief time. Put your helmets on," Plo said to Sinker and Boost.
"If you say so, sir," said Sinker.
"This is a difficult situation, but there remains a possibility that we will survive."
"That's good enough for me," said Boost.
The pod hunter reached their position and latched onto the pod. Plo Koon told Wolffe to keep their communication signal alive. Without it, no one would be able to find them.
"Let's just hope someone is looking for us," said Wolffe.
Aboard the Twilight
The Twilight's crew had been searching for a while, but the debris field made scanning for anything difficult. Ahsoka asked R2 if he had picked up anything on the emergency channel. So far, even that hadn't yielded any results.
"Now, Ahsoka," said Anakin. "We might find something you don't want to find."
"I know, Master, but I have to believe."
Anakin asked how Ahsoka knew Plo Koon. Her behaviour all but indicated that they were close.
"He's one of my oldest friends. It was Master Plo who found me and brought me to the temple where I belonged. Now he's lost, so I thought that maybe I could find him."
R2 signalled that a transmission was coming through, but from outside the Abregado system. When the holo-communicator turned on, the image of a rather frustrated Obi-wan Kenobi appeared.
"Anakin, where are you?"
"Oh. Hello, Master. Uh, we made a quick stop in the Abregado system."
"A rescue mission, I suppose? You had other orders."
"It was my idea, Master Obi-wan," said Ahsoka.
"Oh, I'm sure." Obi-wan didn't sound entirely convinced. "Have you found any survivors?"
"No," said Anakin. "You were right. The Separatists don't want any witnesses."
"All the more reason for you to rejoin the defensive escorts. We need you, Anakin, you're going to miss the rendezvous with the fleet if you don't hurry."
"I know, Master. We're on our way."
Anakin apologised to Ahsoka as they made the preparations to leave the system. R2 started beeping frantically.
"Artooey thinks he's picked up something on the emergency channel," said Ahsoka.
"Can he trace it?" said Anakin.
R2 beeped a response as they headed further into the wreckage to find the signal's source. After flying for a few more minutes Anakin asked if they were still picking up the signal.
"Yes," said Ahsoka. "But why aren't we finding anybody?" She was getting more anxious the longer their search took.
"I don't know, Ahsoka."
Plo Koon's life pod
The battle droids were more than a little surprised to see the Jedi and clones outside the pod. Igniting his lightsaber, Plo jumped off the pod towards the droids while Sinker and Boost provided covering fire. He sliced one droid in half then force-pushed a second, smashing it against the pod hunter.
The other two droids retreated, using the hunter as cover, as they continued to fire back at the clones.
"I can't get a clear shot!" said Sinker.
The battle droid commander decided to switch things up. "Time to put the squeeze on them." It activated the ship's appendages to crush the pod and Wolffe with it.
Inside, Wolffe heard a voice over the comm console.
"Is there anyone out there? This is Ahsoka Tano."
"It's Ahsoka. She must be close," Wolffe said.
"Keep the signal alive, commander," said Plo.
But as seconds turned to minutes it became apparent that the pod and their signal would be crushed before their rescue arrived.
"We're losing the signal," said Wolffe. "The pod can't take much more damage."
"Sinker, your turn," Plo picked him up with the force.
"I'm on it, boss," Sinker was thrown over to the other side of the pod hunter before the Jedi used the force to stop him from hurtling too far. "Eat this, clankers!" He shot the two droids, while the pilot hid behind the entry hatch.
Plo cut through the appendages of the pod hunter with his lightsaber. Now free-floating he force-pushed it away, then grabbed Sinker, pulling him back to the pod.
The droid didn't have time to try and get his ship up and running before it crashed into a large piece of debris, destroying it.
Plo and the clones had survived the attack but were now stranded in the middle of space with a barely functioning life pod.
"Well, general," said Sinker. "This is another fine mess we've gotten into."
"Your sense of humour is improving," said Plo.
"I don't mean to say, 'I told you so', but I didn't believe anyone would come looking for us."
Plo Koon started to wonder if Sinker was correct.
The Twilight
Getting reprimanded by Obi-wan for their decision to look for survivors was one thing. It was something else altogether when the Supreme Chancellor himself called to discuss their course of action.
"Anakin, the Council is furious," said Palpatine. "Why have you left your post?"
"I decided we couldn't just give up on Master Plo Koon."
"A noble gesture, Anakin. But the Council fears your daring may put others in danger. Please listen to me, Anakin. Return at once."
"Yes, Excellency."
After the holo shut off, Ahsoka felt disheartened at the prospect of failing to find Master Plo. As her thoughts cleared, she felt something. It was familiar to her, a presence she had known since her younger years. A quiet gasp she realized what, or rather who, it was.
"Time to go, Ahsoka," said Anakin.
"We have to stay!"
"Ahsoka, I want to believe that master Plo is alive but-"
"I know he's alive," she grabbed the controls. "I can sense it."
Despite Anakin's protest, Ahsoka redirected the ship.
Plo Koon's life pod
Plo asked the clone sergeant why he felt certain that no one was coming for them.
"We're just clones, sir," said Sinker. "We're meant to be expendable."
"Not to me." Just then Plo became aware of a light coming from behind him. Turning, he could make out a ship coming towards them. As it loomed closer, he recognised the Twilight coming towards them.
The ship hovered in front of the pod and launched a tow cable, reeling the survivors into the rear docking bay. With a loud bang, the pod hit the floor as Plo Koon and the two clones dropped to the floor, thankful to be back on some semblance of solid ground. Anakin and Ahsoka hurried over to check their condition.
"Are you okay, Master Plo?" said Ahsoka. She noticed movement inside the pod.
Anakin ripped the view port off with the force. He helped Wolffe who was a little unsteady. A medical droid entered the bay, ready to tend to the survivors.
"Will they be alright?" said Anakin.
"The pressure suits offer some protection," said the droid. "But they require a medical frigate for recovery. I will stabilize them, sir."
"Your men are safe now," Ahsoka said.
"Tell me," said Plo. "Were there any other survivors?"
"We couldn't find anybody else," said Anakin.
Plo Koon deduced that the pod hunters must have destroyed the rest. Ahsoka embraced Plo, both to comfort him for the loss of his men, and thankful that he was alive.
The three Jedi went back to the bridge while the clones were being tended to. Plo Koon recounted how his fleet had tracked the Separatist weapon to this system and explained that the weapon itself was an ion cannon.
"An ion cannon?" said Ahsoka. She was aware of the existence of ion blasters that were primarily used against droids.
"A weapon that neutralizes all power to our ships, leaving the targets defenceless."
Anakin noticed that the Twilight's scanners were picking up something. "There's a massive vessel approaching."
Plo Koon told them to shut off as much power to the Twilight as possible, so they wouldn't be detected. This also included R2, and Ahsoka apologised as she shut him down. The ship was now floating in space and would, hopefully, blend in well enough with the debris.
The Jedi watched uneasily as the Separatist heavy cruiser passed over them.
"That is one big cruiser crusher," said Ahsoka.
Malevolence bridge
After losing contact with the pod hunter, Grievous and Dooku had ordered a complete sweep of the area just to be sure that the hunters hadn't gone out of signal range, or if there were still Republic survivors.
"There's still no signal from the pod hunter," one of the bridge crew said.
Grievous' frustration intensified. "Reduce speed and activate your scanners. We will find who is responsible."
The ship slowed down, and a scan of the area commenced as they combed through the debris of the Republic fleet. As Grievous moved next to the monitoring station, the same droid spoke. "We're picking up a faint signal from a droid. Not one of ours. They're right behind us."
Grievous growled. "Move us into attack position."
The Twilight
The Jedi had hoped that they had managed to avoid detection when the enemy ship started to turn around, back towards them.
Plo Koon's brow creased. "Are all the systems shut down?"
"Is there a problem, sir?" a familiar robotic voice said.
The trio looked at the bridge's entryway, and found out that, yes, they had missed something.
"We forgot to shut off the medical droid." Ahsoka slapped her forehead.
Anakin turned back to the controls. "We need to get the power back online now."
"Can I be of assistance?" said the droid.
"No," said Anakin. "Just get in the back and take care of the clones."
The droid acknowledged the order, paying little attention to the dire situation as the Jedi raced against the clock.
Trying to ignore her pounding heart, Ahsoka almost cried out in relief when the ship finally powered up and shot forward. Knowing they had no defence against the enemy's primary weapon, she focussed on providing the necessary assistance as Anakin deftly used the debris as cover in the hopes of confusing the enemy's conventional targeting.
"R2, program the navi-computer," said Anakin. "Be ready to get us out of here." He started preparing the hyperdrive.
"We turned him off, remember." Ahsoka's shout spurred Plo into action.
He moved to the astromech and brought him back online.
"R2, program the hyperdrive," Ahsoka said.
Immediately, R2 plugged into the port, hastily making the necessary calculations.
Suddenly their scanner started pinging. A quick glance told Anakin that the enemy ship had fired its main cannon at them. Now, he not only had to fly the Twilight out of the debris field, but he also had to outrun the ion blast currently on their tail. As he bobbed and weaved the ship through the obstacles in front of them, R2 signalled that he had managed to lock in a set of coordinates. But Anakin couldn't jump yet, not without a clear path. With the energy wave almost on them, they broke through the debris. Throwing the lever, Anakin propelled them into hyperspace and safety.
Malevolence bridge
Grievous seethed as the enemy ship escaped his grasp. "Now the Republic will know of our ion cannon."
Dooku gave the general a disapproving look. "Your failure is most unfortunate. I will discuss this with my master. However, we cannot afford to waste time now, or we risk the Eternal Alliance learning of this weapon and preparing a defence against it."
As the count departed the bridge, Grievous ordered the droids to continue their work. The Republic may have escaped him for now, but they weren't the most pressing concern. He eagerly awaited orders of their deployment against the Eternal Fleet.
Bith system, the Resolute
The Twilight had arrived back at the fleet, it's occupants glad to finally be in a more secure environment.
"Thanks for getting us out of there in one-piece, General Skywalker," Wolffe said.
"You have my padawan to thank for that." Anakin's gaze went to Ahsoka tending to R2. "She always said you guys would pull through."
"General Plo said someone would come for us. We're glad he was right."
"Skywalker," said Plo. "It is time to give our report to the council."
Anakin was never enthusiastic about relaying reports to the council at the best of times, but his decisions on this mission meant he was going to be scrutinized more than usual. Seeing that his padawan wasn't following, he called to her. "Come on, Ahsoka."
"You want me there?" she said. "I figured because of before…"
"Ahsoka," said Anakin. "Through it all you never gave up. You did a great job. But if I'm getting in trouble for this, you're going to have to share some of the blame too. So, let's go."
"Right beside you, Skyguy."
Malevolence
After moving the Malevolence out of the Abregado system, Grievous had the ship return to separatist space to refuel and resupply before redeploying. After launching back into space, the general was contacted by Count Dooku.
"General, while my master has expressed disappointment with you allowing the Republic to learn of our new weapon, he has made it clear that as long as it can cripple the Eternal Alliance, he is willing to overlook the matter."
"Then, are we ready to unleash this ship upon those interlopers?"
"Yes." Using a handheld projector, Dooku displayed a group of about a dozen Eternal Fleet ships. "This fleet is currently running interference with our operations within the mid-rim. Deal with them."
"It will be done, my lord."
Using the reports from their besieged forces in the area, Grievous was able to pinpoint the Alliance fleet's current location. Giving the order, the ship jumped to hyper-space. During the voyage, Grievous ensured all systems were running smoothly for the Malevolence's first engagement with the Eternal Alliance.
After emerging from hyper-space, the general spied his targets ahead of them. The Eternal Alliance vessels were altering their formation, most likely to prepare for battle. Giving his orders to the bridge crew, the heavy cruiser was moved into attack position.
"The Eternal Alliance are raising their defences," said one of the droids.
"A futile act," said Grievous. "Charge the plasma rotors."
The Malevolence's main weapon charged, Grievous gave the command to fire. The ion blast flew through space. The Eternal Fleet ships attempted to evade the attack, but all twelve ships were caught in the blast. The cyborg general laughed at the sight of the now helpless ships, before ordering the crew to blast the enemy fleet to oblivion.
"A truly successful test," said Grievous to Dooku. "Now the advantage the Eternal Alliance had over us is all but dissolved."
But Dooku didn't seem to share the general's delight. "Don't be hasty, general. The Eternal Fleet is vast. It will take time, but I am confident that this vessel, as well as the rest of its class, will provide us an overwhelming advantage. I shall keep sending you Alliance targets for the time being. Let the Alliance know they are no longer the dominant force in this war."
"As you wish."
The Malevolence flew out of the area, passing the wrecks of the Alliance fleet.
Odessan, Knight's Stronghold
Kira was in her chamber, going over several reports from the Exarchs in the field. Sighing, she signed yet another one, letting her mind wander, her thoughts lingering on the path her life had taken, from a child of the Sith, to a Jedi fighting for the sake of others, and now the High Justice of the Knights of Zakuul. She had experienced all facets of the Force, the light and dark sides as well as the path her husband now walked.
An alarm started blaring across the base, bringing her attention back to the present. Her door alarm pinged; she called out for the person to enter.
One of the stronghold's Exarchs stepped in. "A situation has arisen, High Justice. The Alliance base is contacting us in the main strategy hall."
Rising smoothly to her feet, Kira left her chamber, accompanied by the Exarch. The strategy hall was already filled with Exarchs. Activating the rooms main holo-projector, the room's occupants were greeted by the image of the Supreme Commander.
"High Justice, Exarchs. Our involvement in this war is currently under threat. In the past several hours, a new Separatist warship has made a number of successful attacks against the Eternal Fleet. All ships were destroyed with no survivors."
Even though no one spoke, Kira could feel the sudden tension filling the room. The Eternal Fleet had secured the Alliance a massive advantage against the Republic and the Separatists. It was unnerving for only one enemy warship to cause so much disruption.
"Is it another Gravestone?" said one of the Exarchs.
Shutting out the anxious murmurings around her, Kira's frown deepened as she remembered an ancient frigate, the only vessel at the time that could take on the fleet thanks to its main armament. The omnicannon had been a powerful energy weapon, capable of causing a chain-reaction effect when fired into tight enemy formations.
Kira lowered her gaze, recalling the reason why they had to destroy the Gravestone. It had been revealed, during the Nathema conspiracy, that the ship had been under the control of a violent artificial intelligence who had used it to destroy the original Eternal Fleet. The neutralization of the AI had resulted in the Gravestone's destruction. When the Alliance had built a new Eternal Fleet, it was decided they wouldn't rebuild the Gravestone in case it was, once again, turned against them. With a quick shake of her head, Kira returned her focus to the Commander's words.
"Not quite. From what intelligence we've been able to gather, this vessel is much larger, and its main weapon isn't as advanced, or destructive, as the omnicannon."
"So, what are we dealing with then?" said Kira.
"According to the reports we've received through the GEMINI frequency, it is an ion cannon. It disables all ships caught within the blast, leaving them wide open to attack. Its main advantage is its range. It can fire the cannon long before our ships get within firing range."
The room's occupants went silent. As it stood, they had no real way to counter such a threat.
"The Eternal Fleet wasn't just being used to attack our enemies," said an Exarch, a woman. "It was also being used to deliver relief supplies across the galaxy. If the fleet can't move freely because of this, then what about those we pledged to help?"
"I understand your concern. For the time being I have ordered the entirety of the Eternal Fleet to remain at their current coordinates, or to return to Alliance space until we've dealt with this."
"And how do you intend to deal with this matter?" said Kira. "From my perspective, it seems there's only two ways to deal with this. Either we send in a strike team onto the ship directly and destroy it from within, or we use a starfighter squadron to launch an attack on the ship."
"Given all that we know, I think our best course of action would be the use of a fighter squadron. However, to ensure the best chance at success we're going to need some outside help. I've sent a file over regarding one of the Jedi who led the Republic forces on Christophsis. So, High Justice, how confident are you in your diplomacy skills?"
Kira quirked an eyebrow.
Bith system, Resolute bridge
As the three Jedi exited the communications room after concluding their meeting with the council, Admiral Yularen asked how it had gone.
"We got off lightly all things considered," said Anakin. "I guess the information we were able to bring about the Separatist ion cannon was enough to convince the Council that our rescue mission was worth it."
"So, what happens next?" said Yularen.
"The Council has sanctioned a mission to destroy the enemy ship before it causes too much damage," said Plo.
"And Master Skywalker has been chosen to lead it," said Ahsoka.
"We'll need to gather the crews for the bombers we'll be using and work out an actual plan of attack," said Anakin. "As well as tracking down Grievous' ship."
As the Jedi and admiral were about to start, a bridge technician spoke up, getting the crew's attention. "Long range scanners have detected several ships emerging from hyperspace."
Moving to the bridge's viewport, they were greeted with the sight of about half a dozen battle cruisers of familiar design.
"The Eternal Fleet," said Anakin, his hushed tone echoing the apprehension felt by those around him.
Yularen ordered their fleet to power up their defences.
"Are they preparing to attack?" said Plo.
"No," replied another technician. "Actually, it appears that one of the ships is trying to contact us."
The Jedi exchanged confused looks. The Eternal Alliance had never sought to engage in any discussions before.
His curiosity getting the better of him, Anakin told the clone to put the call through, as he, Yularen and the other two Jedi returned to the communications room.
When the holo-projector came on, it displayed an image of a type of droid they had never seen before. Unlike the skytrooper droids the Alliance used, this droid possessed a feminine appearance and tone. "Republic battle cruiser Resolute, this is GEMINI unit 7305 requesting an audience with Jedi General Anakin Skywalker. Is he present?"
The droid's request took Anakin by surprise. Why would the Eternal Alliance want to speak to him? After a moment, the droid started to repeat itself, at which point Anakin spoke up. "This is Jedi General Anakin Skywalker speaking. May I ask the purpose of this call?"
The droid didn't respond as its image flickered and was replaced by a human woman, wearing a black bodysuit and brown armour. Strapped to her belt was a lightsaber. "Sorry about that, the GEMINI droids are built for efficiency, not socializing. A pleasure to meet you all. My name is Kira Iviss, High Justice of the Knights of Zakuul, and I have come with a proposition."
That's a wrap for this chapter. Hopefully I can get the next two out in a much shorter time frame as I have a rough idea on scenes and structure. So, until next time, May the Force be With You, Always.